Legislation Maryland

The Maryland state Senate gave preliminary approval Friday to a proposal that would make Maryland the first state in the nation to require that all new handguns be sold with built-in locks. Beginning in 2003, all new handguns sold in Maryland would have to have built-in mechanical locks that opened by combination or with a key. Until then, Maryland would join four other states in mandating that new pistols and revolvers be sold with separate trigger locks.

Emboldened by a spate of violence committed on school campuses and growing public pressure for gun control, the Maryland General Assembly moved Friday toward enacting the nation's first state law requiring internal locks on all newly purchased handguns. Similar to a statute enacted last August in California, the Maryland bill would be one of the toughest in the nation, enforcing external locks on all new guns sold in the state by this October.

After four years of watching Dr. Jack Kevorkian take part in dozens of suicides, the Michigan Legislature has passed a bill aimed at stopping him. It approved a ban Thursday on assisted suicide, and Gov. John Engler said he will sign it. Effective Sept. 1, the legislation would make assisted suicide a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Kevorkian reacted defiantly to the passage of the bill. "Don't you know you cannot legislate morality?

The Maryland state Senate gave preliminary approval Friday to a proposal that would make Maryland the first state in the nation to require that all new handguns be sold with built-in locks. Beginning in 2003, all new handguns sold in Maryland would have to have built-in mechanical locks that opened by combination or with a key. Until then, Maryland would join four other states in mandating that new pistols and revolvers be sold with separate trigger locks.

A state Senate compromise to end a filibuster over an abortion rights bill was narrowly rejected by a state House committee. The Senate approved both an abortion rights bill and a more restrictive measure favored by abortion opponents. Lawmakers expect that at least one of the bills will be petitioned to a referendum, which would essentially give voters the final say. Normally, the 13-to-12 vote by the House Environmental Matters Committee would doom the compromise.

State Senate leaders held hourly quorum calls Saturday in an effort to break a filibuster against legislation that would guarantee abortions remain widely available in Maryland. By requiring the entire 47-member Senate to check in each hour beginning at noon for a quorum call, Senate President Thomas V. (Mike) Miller turned what one senator had called a "limousine filibuster" into a far more uncomfortable experience for lawmakers on both sides of the issue.

A tentative agreement was reached Thursday to end the 8-day-old filibuster of an bill that would allow virtually unrestricted access to abortions in Maryland, the president of the state Senate said. The agreement would place both an abortion rights and an anti-abortion proposal before voters this fall, said Senate President Mike Miller. If the Senate approves the agreement, it would still have to win approval in the House of Delegates.

Emboldened by a spate of violence committed on school campuses and growing public pressure for gun control, the Maryland General Assembly moved Friday toward enacting the nation's first state law requiring internal locks on all newly purchased handguns. Similar to a statute enacted last August in California, the Maryland bill would be one of the toughest in the nation, enforcing external locks on all new guns sold in the state by this October.

As he read without emotion from a legal text on the evils of abortion, Maryland state Sen. Tom Bromwell realized at mid-afternoon Friday that he was losing his audience. Bromwell paused for a moment. He turned to two colleagues, the only ones sitting in the Senate chamber, and implored them to end their private conversation. "This is an interesting case," said Bromwell, a Democrat and majority whip of the Maryland Senate. "You should listen to this.

The idea of going to the movies without confronting commercials is so appealing to a Maryland state legislator that he has introduced a bill to outlaw ads on theater screens in that state. Beginning today, the proposed law will be debated in the Economic Matters Committee of the Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates.

After four years of watching Dr. Jack Kevorkian take part in dozens of suicides, the Michigan Legislature has passed a bill aimed at stopping him. It approved a ban Thursday on assisted suicide, and Gov. John Engler said he will sign it. Effective Sept. 1, the legislation would make assisted suicide a crime punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Kevorkian reacted defiantly to the passage of the bill. "Don't you know you cannot legislate morality?

The idea of going to the movies without confronting commercials is so appealing to a Maryland state legislator that he has introduced a bill to outlaw ads on theater screens in that state. Beginning today, the proposed law will be debated in the Economic Matters Committee of the Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer on Monday signed a bill that would protect a woman's right to abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision is overturned. The Maryland House sent the measure to the governor earlier Monday on a vote of 84 to 52, ending a round of intense lobbying and a yearlong fight. "I think the House and Senate acted wisely," Schaefer said. "They voted their conscience." Abortion rights advocates hailed the law as a major victory.

A state Senate compromise to end a filibuster over an abortion rights bill was narrowly rejected by a state House committee. The Senate approved both an abortion rights bill and a more restrictive measure favored by abortion opponents. Lawmakers expect that at least one of the bills will be petitioned to a referendum, which would essentially give voters the final say. Normally, the 13-to-12 vote by the House Environmental Matters Committee would doom the compromise.

A tentative agreement was reached Thursday to end the 8-day-old filibuster of an bill that would allow virtually unrestricted access to abortions in Maryland, the president of the state Senate said. The agreement would place both an abortion rights and an anti-abortion proposal before voters this fall, said Senate President Mike Miller. If the Senate approves the agreement, it would still have to win approval in the House of Delegates.

State Senate leaders held hourly quorum calls Saturday in an effort to break a filibuster against legislation that would guarantee abortions remain widely available in Maryland. By requiring the entire 47-member Senate to check in each hour beginning at noon for a quorum call, Senate President Thomas V. (Mike) Miller turned what one senator had called a "limousine filibuster" into a far more uncomfortable experience for lawmakers on both sides of the issue.

Gov. William Donald Schaefer on Monday signed a bill that would protect a woman's right to abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade decision is overturned. The Maryland House sent the measure to the governor earlier Monday on a vote of 84 to 52, ending a round of intense lobbying and a yearlong fight. "I think the House and Senate acted wisely," Schaefer said. "They voted their conscience." Abortion rights advocates hailed the law as a major victory.

Maryland on Monday approved regulations creating the most restrictive ban on handguns of any state, effectively outlawing the sale and manufacture of dozens of weapons beginning Jan. 1. The action marks an end to a battle waged for nearly a year by gun makers who demanded that their weapons be exempted from the controversial law designed to eliminate so-called Saturday Night Specials from gun dealers' shelves. Although a task force appointed by Gov.

As he read without emotion from a legal text on the evils of abortion, Maryland state Sen. Tom Bromwell realized at mid-afternoon Friday that he was losing his audience. Bromwell paused for a moment. He turned to two colleagues, the only ones sitting in the Senate chamber, and implored them to end their private conversation. "This is an interesting case," said Bromwell, a Democrat and majority whip of the Maryland Senate. "You should listen to this.

Maryland on Monday approved regulations creating the most restrictive ban on handguns of any state, effectively outlawing the sale and manufacture of dozens of weapons beginning Jan. 1. The action marks an end to a battle waged for nearly a year by gun makers who demanded that their weapons be exempted from the controversial law designed to eliminate so-called Saturday Night Specials from gun dealers' shelves. Although a task force appointed by Gov.